- Cartoon favorite "Avatar: The Last Airbender" hit Netflix on May 15.
- The series' availability on the streaming platform sparked a new wave of discussion about it on social media, reviving a debate about its sequel series, "The Legend of Korra."
- While some revived arguments about why "Korra" didn't live up to its predecessor, many jumped on the trending tag on
Twitter to express support for the series.
Beloved animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" hit Netflix in its three-season entirety on May 15, making the cartoon more widely accessible than its been in years. 15 years after the series' debut on
"The Legend of Korra" aired on Nickelodeon (with later seasons being released exclusively online) from 2012 to 2014. The series takes place 70 years after the conclusion of "Avatar" and follows the next Avatar in the cycle: Korra, a brash and sometimes overconfident 17-year-old from the Southern Water Tribe. Given the time jump, the world of Korra is more modern, featuring pro-bending matches, car chases, and plenty of cheesy radio announcers in the thriving, diverse setting of Republic City.
Old questions about whether "Korra" was a better the series than the original "Avatar" reemerged, as did the classic debate about whether Aang or Korra was the better Avatar. Backlash against "Korra" is far from new: there were video essays that emerged in the years following "Korra's" conclusion criticizing the series and calling it "garbage," and the show's groundbreaking, queer finale was met with cries of fan service and claims that the relationship between Korra and Asami wasn't well-developed.
On Twitter, people began to voice old wishes that the "Avatar" creators would have continued telling Aang's story, rather than moving on to Korra's.
—Shonen Clout (@shonenclout) May 18, 2020
Much criticism was focused on how the series measured up to its predecessor, with some saying that it was "trash compared to atla" or that it "ruined Avatar lore." As the discourse began to gain traction, however, Twitter was flooded with messages of support for the sequel series, with many reliving their favorite moments, characters, and fight scenes.
—jay (@mutatxon) May 19, 2020
—David (@thedaviddoes) May 19, 2020
—alex ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜ (@alex_leland_) May 19, 2020
Netflix even got in on the debate, weighing in with fans in the replies to its tweet about Korra's story (even though "Korra" isn't available on the platform.)
—NX (@NXOnNetflix) May 19, 2020
—NX (@NXOnNetflix) May 19, 2020
It doesn't seem like the "Avatar" vs. "Korra" debate is going to die down any time soon. What is clear, however, are the lasting impacts that both series had on the animation landscape. Just as "Avatar" set a precedent for cartoons in the 2010s (including its sequel), "Korra" was an early step towards more LGBTQ characters in cartoon series like "Steven Universe" or "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" in the years to come.
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